New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-11-06
MILLIONS IN SILVER
END OF THE DELUsrvE TRADE Dor,.,

MAKING THEM INTO BRICKS AT THE ASSAY op,,,-
TREASURES OF THE VAULTS.
On n recent Friday aftsrn ool the last "n.,y
1885, 533 trade dollars which have boon receivsa Ne
United States Assay Office In walst since m. "e
Congress authorizing their purchase went into .o.
completed and the limpd silver was poured I'M. ~
moulds and transformed into silver bricks loo ~ @
ounces in weight. mslt" Of silver at tho A..a, -.
fee means 5000 ounces Therefore, In order n -.
way with the whole number Of this three and 49,
millions of trade dollars about hundred "ms,.
necessary reporter CHANGED to be prs..n, 80
stood near the crucibe when these last rspressnav
OF dead currency slowly lost their individuality anah
cane shapclsss glittoring mass Their career va,n.
one OF honor They never were treated with the rsn.
accorded 10 the ancient "dolar OF our daddie.y
They had their origin In falsehood and A.
cet-in the untruthful declaration that th..
intended for which those who nush.,
the measure through Congress creating them new.
meant for them.
II to get the bill passed when the origin.,o
OF the scheme said that they were to be employed ",
the Chinese and japanese trade" So unlike any 9TH.
coin OF the Republic, they stamped with no,.
weight in grains APO and their degree of hneness oo
and labelled trade dollar" small portion only ~
sent among the 0rentals. The bulk OF the issus ma.
forced into circulation in the states and by questioua
Finding that they were flooding the country,
Pacn
States and the Ceestals, Congress unwsely a. the pa
suit proved, withdrew from them the sembl .nce of h.
legal.ender quality by repeating that portion OF the A,
calling them into being. which made them conpulsorv
receivable in OF five dollars less Ths,
longer n legitimate medium OF currency, they de,.n
Grated into object OF barter ana traffic with unscupn
lous brokers and money shavers. and hard vo,k
ing and woman By whom they had been unyilipyl,
accepted wages compelled to submit 10 crp.l
discount of five to fifteen per cent before could h.
converted into the necessaries OF life Although in tia
scales the trade dollar equal 10 eleven dimes 4,
weight and tencent piece had to be added two afty
pieces. TO four quarters, to them balan.
with trade dollar. yet these big snkeTs dru,
in the market and so continued until after long srus.
gle, Congress induced by the brokers and mon.y.
shavers into whose possession they had to paa
the act by which they were "caed back"
What is densminatcd an enclosure" in one OF N.
vaults OF the Assay Office contains 400 cubic fe.u
trade dollars which have passed through the crucits
and now stacked up in the shape OF silver bricks
The Government has paid about $3,f0OoC0 for them
but they useless. superintendent Andrew Mason
Gays; and unless made into standard dollars Of which
there is such surplus that the Treasury Depart,
cannot find storage room for them loss OF about
% per would be sustained in dispospg metal
to manufacturers and artisans. The furnishing OF COLA
and silver bars for manufacturing purposes is supern
tendeRt Mason says a growing business at The Assay
$4,000 OOO have been sold FOR arts and manuiact
uTes increase or 100000 any pre- vOus year.
HOW THE MELTED MASSES ARE AssAYED.
When the last melt" OF the trade dollar
had been poured into the moulds and nal.
brick. the reporter observed that two small qusau
ties perhaps OF grain or two each were put into lins
rcceptacles AVID sent to the assayngr0om These er
planned Assistant Assayer j. T. Wilder. the sample,
FOR assaying. Two are taken from each melt They
I'D In 4 I'll
must tally II it does not. the work is repeated Khs
assays still fail agree the whole melt rsnel,h
and fresh samples taken. Then the process il gems
through with again
The greatest care is taken" said Mr. Wilder "n
guard against inaccuracies. The assayng Is dsne BY
the Gay Lussac method. The exact amount OF metal
weighed and dissolved in nitric acid. Then enough
chlorine is aided to precipate precisely a drachno
pure silver The solution IS then shaken fol three min.
utes IN shaking machine run by steam after which,.
is allowed to se.e. More salt water Is added eyery
atom OF which Is TAX en- account Of. and Il any siyerr
mains I'm solution II shows slight cloudinesS Tbs
operation 10 repellel until 10 cloulnes. sp
pears. showing that 10 silver remains in ssla.
ton; that it has all been precip.t4teI Then q
calculation is made as To the exact tn tue
pies OF SILVER IN the trade dollar. which corc,,edby
silver proofs. Whsn the fnene,s ia thoroughly
la ned h Is stamped upon The bar or BRICK walca ia,
vaIe. "ei2ht melt number ana iino.r ~ the bar
Then the bar or brick l. sent 20 the Enclosure before
mentioned where me 0iusr trade dollar tllcAs Sra
kept under a combination safe lock The combinations.
this well Is OF he other safe l0cas IN the Gv ding
ksownony 70 superintendent Mason an! one other
The antiqnatei building used as the assay oac, vas
present purposes since the year 1884 and tie work and
business done there nave long since outro"n III.
Old tenement shakes perceptbly when heavily loaded
truck passes along the street in iron Of IL
interfering with the ascertainiug OF weights npou The
delicate little scales Used b. Assistant Assayrr wider
upOs whi,h he IL able 10 discover the specific srayiiyO
au object almost inh.itesiaal an ser Tor in.
calculates - 4 eli
exact veiStt OF their signatures MINUS the grayifyot
the paper upon which they are written M .mu Mr.
Wilder remarked often represented the ,Lt of the
respective staiesnen psltIcsl Influence after tEey hsa
been regsterei among the has becus" The reporters
wilt 10 the gOliroom revealed thing, curious and
interesting Here we're bags Of scrap god OF al grades
sent IN by Jewellers aad workers ia gold and silver,
waiting ~ have tue theses OF their teste n
furnaces heated up 10 over l,0o0. Gold OF AL the VII
Net countries WAS mere sent from LONDON Parts. Wen
na Antwerp AMI other European cities. Much ol il Was
said To come from Holland and Germany. The B4ukst
Amsterdam Is q large corslsnor Oae deep pan. ready
for the crucble Confined live hGkdre m.l~ "a 0yrr-
igns. most OF them bright aud new. IN smother wers
about one nun ed asd seventy vs spanish !"onoons,
While ia i4lrd were French aud Belgian twcnty,ans
Germany. Domestic geld comes IN bars grains AID
Jumps and in lcwelry and the like.
After this gold has been melted. refined AMI a.sayedO
Is mo nars or bricks OF various Sues O. y@lus
running rom ~ 10 to 80. 10o aud properly stamped
ONCE chickan feel" The stamping upon the sides Of
ono OF them Just come gave the melt number lij bar
sos 40 while on the top. \ ication. was the As
say Onics stamp. with the eagle s"s>e" II 10
feed varies In weight from abo Il live up thrtynvs
ounces The larger sizes from twelve forty pounds
in weight Many or them are stamped $4,000 ard up
ward In value Boxes or uswly -stampei bricks contain
ing $4,000 10 100000 each Stood ready 20 70
trundcd 10 the vaults. on one - .J0pOou
With the stamp OF the Assay Ohlce upon theW,
these bars OF bricks are worth IN commerce the eIf.
value at winch they are stamped and where gold mn'te
used, are preferred III heavy transactions 10 any DINER
form oi currency The vaults OF the Assay Office c0a
tam IN tnis form Of gold alone. moulded ihers.ser
SSs.OUoooJ. over S1eOoO,OOO oil this has been re-
crved there during the past three months iass
amount oil Treasure deserves better accommodations
SOME CCRIOsIrIES OF THE GpLD-ROoh
Among the other curlosities Of tue gold are ,he
Two alleged bars of gold which old Captaa Richarlsoa
some months ago got from a couple Of supposed CALI
fornians for $4,000 They proved to DC pure copper
without even a vsueeng OF gold. II the oil captanhai
been as well acquainted with the precious metals he
prolessed to be lie would have discovered the decet by
the color while by heftiuS them attcntNcy he would
have found them not half 80 heavy As taey 'hodd he;
Of Wlle fhac